Ten Ways to Make Freelancing Work For You As a Student

When trying to find a means of
financial support to save us from identifying with the traditional ‘poor Uni
student’ stereotype, we usually go searching for part-time or casual jobs.
Those employment opportunities that make us slaves to the phrase ‘I’ll have to
check my roster’ and often we resent the set of four walls that trap us in that
means to an end workplace. Maybe that was just me, but if you want to explore
other avenues of work, I’d like to introduce to you the idea of freelancing,
and 10 reasons why it can be the perfect way to put some figures in your bank
while studying.

Flexibility

Possibly the biggest bonus of
freelancing is the fact that there are no set hours. You wont have to miss out
on your friend’s party or that beach trip because you work every weekend;
freelancing means you work when it suits you. Most positions will have deadlines,
but as long as it’s done on time, it’s entirely up to you to decide when the actual work is done. The
downside of all this flexibility can mean your workload and paychecks aren’t
consistent. Once you hit that deadline you may be left not knowing when more
work is coming.

Strengthening organisation

With no set hours, no boss looming
over your shoulder, and deadlines to meet, you will need to be organised.
Casual jobs are usually repetitive, meaning you can zone out and daydream about
that cute guy you met on the weekend. Working freelance is comparable to taking
on another uni course, so you’ll need to have good time management skills and
avoid procrastinating for extended periods of time.

Gaining valuable work experience before graduating

Most freelance work is offered to writers,
photographers and graphic designers, areas you might be studying in. Getting a
job in your area of study before actually graduating means experience to go on
the resume, which is one step closer to landing that job with the big players.

Making cash monies

Not only are you gaining experience,
but you’re also getting paid. Freelancing gives you the option to prioritise
work that furthers your skills in areas that will help you gain future
employment in your dream career over learning how to make a kebab.

More free time

It seems like a lot of people in casual
jobs still get stuck working 20–30 hours a week. Not to mention those
inconvenient call-ins because someone is sick or hasn’t show up. Once you get
organised and into the swing of things, you’ll find you’re spending more time
outside enjoying the sun, rather than hibernating in a brick building.

Alarms won’t be the most annoying sound in the world

From my perspective, there aren’t to
many down sides to freelancing, but if you’re working from home, and your boss
is sitting in an office in a different city or state, the main way you’ll
probably be contacting them is through email. This means you’ll likely find
yourself sitting in front of screen a fair bit, however you’ll enhance your
tech skills and become a computer whizz in no time.

No more complaints

If you’ve ever worked a casual or
part-time customer service job you probably have a few crazy customer stories
to share. As a freelance writer or photographer you will have to interact with
other humans, but you’ll likely be talking to these people about themselves, or
their business. Goodbye cranky customers!

No more putting on awful coloured
shirts and dorky hats, as a freelancer you can wear your pyjamas if you want
to!

Enjoy holiday breaks

Yes as a freelancer you always have
to be ‘on’, possibly also during public holidays and the festive season, but at
least you’re not subjected to the horrendous experience of being a Christmas
casual. Ya’ll know what I’m taking about.

What's your opinion?

Freelancing during studying is such a great idea. I loved these points as to why! I'm constantly looking for new experiences with freelance writing alongside my journalism studies. It can add to your career afterwards too :)

Yes getting experience while doing degree I think is so important!! I always love finding people who have also done a journalism degree, what are you majoring in? :) Plus I think freelancing fits perfectly into the student lifestyle :) xx.